The Good Mixer, Camden Town: what to drink and when to go
A pool table, a free jukebox and a Britpop legend or two on Inverness Street, NW1, a short walk from Camden Town Tube.
By Only Camden Editorial
The Good Mixer, 30 Inverness Street, NW1 7HJ. Walk-in drinking, pool, a free jukebox and live sport. Ring 020 3076 0002 or check the pub's website for the current hours and events before you set off.
It sits on the corner of Inverness Street, about a two-minute walk from Camden Town Tube according to Tripadvisor. It is a proper dive-style Camden boozer, and it is better for being exactly that.
What it is
Tripadvisor describes a classic boozer with a free-to-play jukebox, pool tables and live sport. CAMRA adds bar billiards to the list. There is pavement seating outside when the weather plays along, which on Inverness Street means a front row seat for the market.
The plan is simple: get a drink, put your coins on the pool table, then choose your jukebox songs carefully. The room will judge you.
The history, and the legend
The site was originally the Cricketers pub, which was destroyed in the Second World War. Its 1950s replacement became the Good Mixer, and CAMRA says the name comes from a cement mixer trapped in the building during construction. Secret London describes it as starting life as a working man’s pub before becoming the pub of choice for Britpop bands.
Layers of London says Graham Coxon and Amy Winehouse were regulars alongside Inverness Street market traders. The Islington Tribune says Winehouse loved shooting pool here and played a secret gig in the back room during the Camden Crawl in 2007. The pub also appears in the 2024 biopic Back to Black, as Camden New Journal reported.
Then there is the Britpop lore. Camden Market’s Oasis guide says the rivalry between Oasis and Blur is rumoured to have started here, and VoiceMap tells a story about Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon in the toilets, with plenty of “apparently” attached. Treat all of it as pub legend. It is a good story either way.
The pub closed in January 2018, according to NME, and Camden New Journal reported that new landlords saved it from developers and promised to keep it a traditional boozer. It reopened on a Friday night after a three-month closure.
What to order
CAMRA says the handpumps were removed by August 2019, so this is not the place for cask ale. Go for keg and stout instead. Untappd check-ins list Greene King Level Head, Caffrey’s Black Stout and Alpacalypse by SALT among the popular pours there, which is a fair guide to what people drink. Check the current food offer at the bar, and plan on a pint, a game of pool and a jukebox pick as the core order.
When to go
- Weekday afternoons: the easiest time to get a pool table and a seat.
- Weekend evenings: busier, and the likeliest time for DJs and live music.
- Live music: DesignMyNight points to Sundays. The pub’s own website carries full event details, so check before promising anyone a band.
Prices and booking: it is a walk-in pub, and DesignMyNight says it does not take bookings through its site. Groups and private hire go through the venue directly. TagVenue lists hire from £150, with room for 60 seated or 180 standing.
For after: Inverness Street Market
You are already on the right street. Inverness Street Market is an outdoor street market, which Wikipedia describes as a remnant of the old Camden Town Market. Tripadvisor mentions street food, clothes and souvenirs, plus independent businesses including a comic shop and a rare vinyl shop. Go by day for the stalls and the browsing, then loop back to the pub if the rain arrives.
Details: CAMRA listing, Layers of London, Inverness Street Market on Wikipedia.
